So, as the title suggests this is the first team I have really thought through for competitive play, and as such, it is likely very flawed in ways I can't yet perceive. I have played several games with it, but it tends to be much more effective with good prediction, which is also a problem I seem to have xD.
Before I get into the team, I would like to give a little insight into the Pokes I like to use. I have always been a huge fan of dragons, even when the only dragon really only succeeded as a wrap/paralyze abuser. As such, I wanted at least duo dragons on my team. I tried to incorporate Goodra and/or Salamance, but both of those slots ended up in the more capable hands of my second love, Dragonite. I really wanted a team where I could see Dragonite shine, and I love water pokemon too, so the natural choice seemed like a rain team. I am not very familiar with X & Y mons, so I ended up not using any of them, which may have been a poor decision. But hey, that is why I am here!
I am a slightly more offensive player, so I avoided some of the more standardized stall sets I have read about. I like to smash, but I also wanted a good amount of bulk to back it all up. So without further ado, here is what I came up with.
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Toed'Ya (Politoed) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Protect
So what is the first step in a rain team? A reliable way to kick up the storm! This is largely why I chose Politoed, and most often lead with him. Scald/Toxic gives me two options to attempt a status, and he can take on some other weather leads like Ninetails (at least from what I have played). Protect lets me scout a little, or let the poison get a little worse while I twiddle my thumbs. Scald is my primary STAB of course. I have considered using Surf instead, but I like the idea of choosing my status based on the situation. Ice Beam is an additional coverage move for dragon leads and some annoying grass types that do not OHKO him.
The EV spread lets me switch around more, even with entry hazards in place and tank a few hits. The same goes for my item choice in Leftovers. I wanted to be able to take a hit as well as dish out a little before popping in a more powerful sweeper. Bold nature gives me a little Defense edge at the expense of an unused Attack stat.
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Gilgamesh (Kingdra) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
- Ice Beam
With rain dance in place, this is usually my go-to sweeper. The speed boost from Swift Swim in rain, combined with a STAB Hydro Pump is pretty darn nasty. Ice Beam is an additional coverage move, more for grass types in this instance than Politoed. Draco Meteor is insanely powerful by itself, and with a STAB boost is just delicious. This is one Pokemon I do not really mind switching in and out either, as it is very reliant on the rain buff. That also contributed a lot to my decision in using Rain Dance on this set as well, allowing him to buff if my other dancers fall.
The EV spread allows it to survive at least a hit from common checks and counters, as well as the Life Orb recoils if all goes according to plan. SAtk and Modest nature is fairly oblivious, as I wanted him to hit as hard as possible without locking me into a move (hence Life Orb). Lastly, the Speed EVs let me hit Choice Scarf Garchomp and other similarly nasty pokes before they can take this rather frail sweeper out.
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What The 'Nite? (Dragonite) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Hurricane
- Thunder
- Dragon Tail
- Roost
My greatest love, Dragonite is just plain awesome in a lot of team choices. However I saw some of the choices allowed to him in rain, and that was the end of that. STAB Hurricane with no chance of missing in the rain is obliviously the biggest offensive draw, but an un-resisted Thunder that always hits is pretty appealing as well. The former is great against common fighting and grass threats, while the latter takes care of opposing bulky waters quite nicely. Roost is a reliable recovery move that removes his flying weaknesses for a turn. Unfortunatly with a subpar speed, he rarely reaps the ancillary benefits of Roost but it seemed almost necessary for a tanky D-Nite. Dragon Tail allows me to tank a hit and phaze an enemy through the entry hazards laid by the back half of my team. Basically, this is my transition poke from offensive to the defensive aspects of the team.
The EV spread and Nature choice is to maximize Dragonite's tanking potential without hurting its' two amazing weather moves. Leftovers, Roost, and Multiscale gives this D-Nite set staying power that I did not expect initially.
Again, this 'Mon is pretty dependent on it continuing to pour so he may be moved back to Politoed or Kingdra.
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Star Struck (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 4 SAtk / 224 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Psyshock
- Recover
With all of this switching to keep it raining, entry hazards become a problem, especially for Dragonite. The next reasonable choice is a Rapid Spinner! This leaves me mostly clear to switch for my rain when needed. Surf and Psyshock are its' primary STAB moves, however they are often reserved for late game. This is part of the reason I chose reliability over power on this set. Recovery is an awesome way to keep Starmie around, and Leftovers helps get back that HP inevitably lost switching into hazards. I originally had this set include Rain Dance (I am still trying to find another Rain Dancer, as I feel two is not enough in the team), but these seemed like safer and more reliable choices. Natural Cure is the oblivious choice for ability as a Rapid Spinner, especially if he does not stick around anyway.
The EV Spread and Timid nature give it the Speed and staying power to be there for me most, if not all, of the game. SAtk is fairly arbitrary in my opinion, but this is what you guys recommended and I could not think of a better distribution on that account. :) 0 Attk IVs keep it from being confused as often, and some protection from Foul Play.
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Wet Pokes (Ferrothorn) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Protect
This Pokemon is so dirty that I feel ashamed to have him, but Ferrothorn is simply amazing. Not only does it help shore up my growing weakness against Lightning-types, active rain helps keep it alive in spite of a Fire-type attack. Spikes gives me some good entry hazard damage to phaze around with, while leech seed helps with recovery and even more passive damage. There has even been a few occasions where a little extra seeding brings back D-Nite or Kingdra from the brink on good prediction. Gyro Ball is there to prevent Taunt from crippling it, and providing some really solid damage. Protect is for more scouting and passive damage racking if Ferrothorn feels unsafe using Gyro Ball.
EV Spread and a Relaxed nature make Ferrothorn as bulky as he can be, while reducing my speed even further for Gyro Ball. Leftovers gives him even longer to spread entry hazard and sit there looking angry in my team preview.
--------------------
Now for the last Pokemon, as with a lot of teams I have looked at, is what is really a hard decision to make. I am torn between another bulky offensive Pokemon, more entry hazard damage, and an okay check against some steel pokes. What unfortunately falls by the wayside in my last choice, is another Rain Dancer, which I feel like I need.
--------------------
Swamped (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Ahhh Swampert, so many jokes have been made at your and your younger cousin's expense, I felt like he needed a little love. Instead of more rain I decided for all of the other three things I wanted. Earthquake is a great way to scare off Steel-type, especially Heatran and is the epitome of reliable strength as a STAB move. Because I chose an Impish nature, I had to choose between Aqua Tail and Waterfall as Swampert's Water STAB. Finally Aqua Tail came out on top for me, as he is generally slower than other Pokes he is facing and does not get the chance of Waterfall flinch very often. Aqua Tail gives me a bit more power when the rain comes down, and if I need reliability, I can use EQ. I really wanted a Stealth Rock choice for more phazing options and a good chance at harming things like Charizard and Talonflame passively so Swampert, was further cemented. Lastly, Roar gives me a second phazing option and really helps against annoying Sub+Protect Poke sets. It also helps by letting Swampert choose his battles and set up SR more reliably.
Once again, this set lent itself more toward the bulky offensive archetype. The Attack EVs help him 2KO some common threats he comes up against. Also more Leftovers. I must have found a whole meal in some trash can, because I have a lot of Leftovers here. However the Leftovers give him a little more staying power of course. What really sold me here, was Swampert's immunity to Lightning-Type attacks, something that was beginning to look like a problem with two neutral strikes, two super effective, and only one resist. The extreme Grass weakness was already quickly addressed with other Pokes.
------------------
Runners Up:
Here are a few other Pokemon I considered to fill roles that have come up as I played the team, but just did not seem to fit well enough.
------------------
Rotom-Washer
I considered Rotom-W, because it could give me an additional Rain Dance, another Thunder and Hydro Pump STAB, and a fun recovery move in Pain Split. However, opposing Thunders would still do neutral damage to him and I would lose out on SR and EQ.
--------------------
Rotom
With STAB Thunder and a resist to Lightning, I seriously considered Rotom's base form. In addition to Pain Split and Thunder, this Rotom also would provide a Spin Blocker to keep my entry hazards on the field. Because of EQ and immunity to Lightning, as well as Rotom's rather weak base stats, Swampert still won out.
-------------------
Some other honorable mentions I thought briefly about are:
Suicune
Jirichu
Zapdos
Blastoise
Latios
-------------------
If you read this whole thing, I seriously thank you xD I am pretty new to composing battling teams, and this is my first really carefully thought out team, so tell me if it is complete crap. But let me down lightly, because I really like this team xP
Anyway, critics and ideas are truly appreciated, and I hope I did this right!
Before I get into the team, I would like to give a little insight into the Pokes I like to use. I have always been a huge fan of dragons, even when the only dragon really only succeeded as a wrap/paralyze abuser. As such, I wanted at least duo dragons on my team. I tried to incorporate Goodra and/or Salamance, but both of those slots ended up in the more capable hands of my second love, Dragonite. I really wanted a team where I could see Dragonite shine, and I love water pokemon too, so the natural choice seemed like a rain team. I am not very familiar with X & Y mons, so I ended up not using any of them, which may have been a poor decision. But hey, that is why I am here!
I am a slightly more offensive player, so I avoided some of the more standardized stall sets I have read about. I like to smash, but I also wanted a good amount of bulk to back it all up. So without further ado, here is what I came up with.
------------------------------
Toed'Ya (Politoed) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Toxic
- Protect
So what is the first step in a rain team? A reliable way to kick up the storm! This is largely why I chose Politoed, and most often lead with him. Scald/Toxic gives me two options to attempt a status, and he can take on some other weather leads like Ninetails (at least from what I have played). Protect lets me scout a little, or let the poison get a little worse while I twiddle my thumbs. Scald is my primary STAB of course. I have considered using Surf instead, but I like the idea of choosing my status based on the situation. Ice Beam is an additional coverage move for dragon leads and some annoying grass types that do not OHKO him.
The EV spread lets me switch around more, even with entry hazards in place and tank a few hits. The same goes for my item choice in Leftovers. I wanted to be able to take a hit as well as dish out a little before popping in a more powerful sweeper. Bold nature gives me a little Defense edge at the expense of an unused Attack stat.
----------------
Gilgamesh (Kingdra) (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 HP / 252 SAtk / 176 Spd
Modest Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Rain Dance
- Ice Beam
With rain dance in place, this is usually my go-to sweeper. The speed boost from Swift Swim in rain, combined with a STAB Hydro Pump is pretty darn nasty. Ice Beam is an additional coverage move, more for grass types in this instance than Politoed. Draco Meteor is insanely powerful by itself, and with a STAB boost is just delicious. This is one Pokemon I do not really mind switching in and out either, as it is very reliant on the rain buff. That also contributed a lot to my decision in using Rain Dance on this set as well, allowing him to buff if my other dancers fall.
The EV spread allows it to survive at least a hit from common checks and counters, as well as the Life Orb recoils if all goes according to plan. SAtk and Modest nature is fairly oblivious, as I wanted him to hit as hard as possible without locking me into a move (hence Life Orb). Lastly, the Speed EVs let me hit Choice Scarf Garchomp and other similarly nasty pokes before they can take this rather frail sweeper out.
------------------
What The 'Nite? (Dragonite) (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Multiscale
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SAtk / 252 SDef
Calm Nature
- Hurricane
- Thunder
- Dragon Tail
- Roost
My greatest love, Dragonite is just plain awesome in a lot of team choices. However I saw some of the choices allowed to him in rain, and that was the end of that. STAB Hurricane with no chance of missing in the rain is obliviously the biggest offensive draw, but an un-resisted Thunder that always hits is pretty appealing as well. The former is great against common fighting and grass threats, while the latter takes care of opposing bulky waters quite nicely. Roost is a reliable recovery move that removes his flying weaknesses for a turn. Unfortunatly with a subpar speed, he rarely reaps the ancillary benefits of Roost but it seemed almost necessary for a tanky D-Nite. Dragon Tail allows me to tank a hit and phaze an enemy through the entry hazards laid by the back half of my team. Basically, this is my transition poke from offensive to the defensive aspects of the team.
The EV spread and Nature choice is to maximize Dragonite's tanking potential without hurting its' two amazing weather moves. Leftovers, Roost, and Multiscale gives this D-Nite set staying power that I did not expect initially.
Again, this 'Mon is pretty dependent on it continuing to pour so he may be moved back to Politoed or Kingdra.
------------------
Star Struck (Starmie) @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 4 SAtk / 224 Spd
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Rapid Spin
- Psyshock
- Recover
With all of this switching to keep it raining, entry hazards become a problem, especially for Dragonite. The next reasonable choice is a Rapid Spinner! This leaves me mostly clear to switch for my rain when needed. Surf and Psyshock are its' primary STAB moves, however they are often reserved for late game. This is part of the reason I chose reliability over power on this set. Recovery is an awesome way to keep Starmie around, and Leftovers helps get back that HP inevitably lost switching into hazards. I originally had this set include Rain Dance (I am still trying to find another Rain Dancer, as I feel two is not enough in the team), but these seemed like safer and more reliable choices. Natural Cure is the oblivious choice for ability as a Rapid Spinner, especially if he does not stick around anyway.
The EV Spread and Timid nature give it the Speed and staying power to be there for me most, if not all, of the game. SAtk is fairly arbitrary in my opinion, but this is what you guys recommended and I could not think of a better distribution on that account. :) 0 Attk IVs keep it from being confused as often, and some protection from Foul Play.
--------------------
Wet Pokes (Ferrothorn) (F) @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 252 HP / 48 Def / 208 SDef
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spd
- Spikes
- Gyro Ball
- Leech Seed
- Protect
This Pokemon is so dirty that I feel ashamed to have him, but Ferrothorn is simply amazing. Not only does it help shore up my growing weakness against Lightning-types, active rain helps keep it alive in spite of a Fire-type attack. Spikes gives me some good entry hazard damage to phaze around with, while leech seed helps with recovery and even more passive damage. There has even been a few occasions where a little extra seeding brings back D-Nite or Kingdra from the brink on good prediction. Gyro Ball is there to prevent Taunt from crippling it, and providing some really solid damage. Protect is for more scouting and passive damage racking if Ferrothorn feels unsafe using Gyro Ball.
EV Spread and a Relaxed nature make Ferrothorn as bulky as he can be, while reducing my speed even further for Gyro Ball. Leftovers gives him even longer to spread entry hazard and sit there looking angry in my team preview.
--------------------
Now for the last Pokemon, as with a lot of teams I have looked at, is what is really a hard decision to make. I am torn between another bulky offensive Pokemon, more entry hazard damage, and an okay check against some steel pokes. What unfortunately falls by the wayside in my last choice, is another Rain Dancer, which I feel like I need.
--------------------
Swamped (Swampert) @ Leftovers
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 240 HP / 16 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Aqua Tail
- Stealth Rock
- Roar
Ahhh Swampert, so many jokes have been made at your and your younger cousin's expense, I felt like he needed a little love. Instead of more rain I decided for all of the other three things I wanted. Earthquake is a great way to scare off Steel-type, especially Heatran and is the epitome of reliable strength as a STAB move. Because I chose an Impish nature, I had to choose between Aqua Tail and Waterfall as Swampert's Water STAB. Finally Aqua Tail came out on top for me, as he is generally slower than other Pokes he is facing and does not get the chance of Waterfall flinch very often. Aqua Tail gives me a bit more power when the rain comes down, and if I need reliability, I can use EQ. I really wanted a Stealth Rock choice for more phazing options and a good chance at harming things like Charizard and Talonflame passively so Swampert, was further cemented. Lastly, Roar gives me a second phazing option and really helps against annoying Sub+Protect Poke sets. It also helps by letting Swampert choose his battles and set up SR more reliably.
Once again, this set lent itself more toward the bulky offensive archetype. The Attack EVs help him 2KO some common threats he comes up against. Also more Leftovers. I must have found a whole meal in some trash can, because I have a lot of Leftovers here. However the Leftovers give him a little more staying power of course. What really sold me here, was Swampert's immunity to Lightning-Type attacks, something that was beginning to look like a problem with two neutral strikes, two super effective, and only one resist. The extreme Grass weakness was already quickly addressed with other Pokes.
------------------
Runners Up:
Here are a few other Pokemon I considered to fill roles that have come up as I played the team, but just did not seem to fit well enough.
------------------
Rotom-Washer
I considered Rotom-W, because it could give me an additional Rain Dance, another Thunder and Hydro Pump STAB, and a fun recovery move in Pain Split. However, opposing Thunders would still do neutral damage to him and I would lose out on SR and EQ.
--------------------
Rotom
With STAB Thunder and a resist to Lightning, I seriously considered Rotom's base form. In addition to Pain Split and Thunder, this Rotom also would provide a Spin Blocker to keep my entry hazards on the field. Because of EQ and immunity to Lightning, as well as Rotom's rather weak base stats, Swampert still won out.
-------------------
Some other honorable mentions I thought briefly about are:
Suicune
Jirichu
Zapdos
Blastoise
Latios
-------------------
If you read this whole thing, I seriously thank you xD I am pretty new to composing battling teams, and this is my first really carefully thought out team, so tell me if it is complete crap. But let me down lightly, because I really like this team xP
Anyway, critics and ideas are truly appreciated, and I hope I did this right!
